RCGP chair says GPs are not ‘technophobic dinosaurs’

The chair of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has argued that GPs are not ‘technophobic dinosaurs’ who are reluctant to move with the times, while re-iterating concerns about Babylon’s GP at Hand.

Helen Stokes-Lampard told fellow GPs at the RCGP’s annual conference in Glasgow on 4 October that, far from being “afraid” of innovation, GPs are the champions of safe technology, yet sky-high costs make keeping up with private companies impossible.

Speaking on 4 October, she said: “I get really exasperated when I hear accusations that GPs are technophobic dinosaurs. What utter nonsense.

“GPs are not ‘afraid’ of technology or innovation. But robots don’t come cheap, tech costs money, and for GP practices that are already on the brink, implementing new, good technology is unfeasible.”

Stokes-Lampard also accused wealthy tech companies of creating a “digital divide” as younger and fitter patients are “siphoned off” at the expense of those in greatest need, and then using “bully boy tactics” if anyone challenges their methods.

Though she branded the technology “impressive”, Stokes-Lampard challenged the way in which the service targets new patients, arguing this threatens the financial model of traditional NHS general practice.

She also renewed the RCGP’s calls for a robust, independent evaluation of GP at Hand to assure patients it is safe.

Stokes-Lampard said: “We need rapid, independent and scientific way to evaluate new innovations, such as online consulting options, software, apps and wearables, so that we can swiftly, safely and effectively establish which is the good new technology.

“Give us the IT tools we need in a way that does not put our existing services at risk – in a way that benefits all our patients and makes our working lives easier.”

Speaking to Digital Health News after Stokes-Lampard’s speech, Mobasher Butt, Babylon’s chief medical officer and GP at hand practice partner, thanks the RCGP for her comments about GP at Hand’s technology and also echoed calls for improved evaluations of “rapidly evolving technology”.

However, Butt said he was “disappointed” that the RCGP accused technology companies of causing a rift.

He added: “We are not creating any digital divide – it is a shame the RCGP appear to be the ones creating a divide.”

16 Comments

Richard Sarson
16 October 2018 @
17:30

The greatest failure of GPs at the moment is slowness of access, sometimes as much as five weeks. GP at Hand solves that problem for certain patients. One might have hoped that Helen Stokes Lampard might have welcomed any attempt to solve this pressing problem. But no; she and many of her colleagues rubbish it, and thereby attract the label of ‘technophobic dinosaurs”.

It seems to me more sensible for her to explore ways of providing GP practices with BOTH GP-at-hand-type services AND, in parallel, conventional face-to-face GP services. That would seem to me to give fast responses to the young and time-pressed, and more continuous care to aged patients like me with multiple comorbidities. Everybody’s needs would be catered for, and this absurd luddite hostility would become a thing of the past. But it would need GPs, the software companies and NHS England to work together – not always the easiest task.

Clive
16 October 2018 @
19:25

GPs are not failing, all referrals should go thru’ eRS, their source (e.g. GP, self or NHS consultant) should have no relevance, they should be prioritised based on need not source ! The NHS needs to change

Dave Kelsall
17 October 2018 @
11:32

I think that Richard’s point was that to get onto eRS you almost always need a GP appointment (few services accept self referrals) and that getting a non-emergency GP appointment can take three weeks.

GP at Hand type services offer some relief to the pressures on primary care but they also risk increasing pressure on traditional practices as the more lucrative younger end of the demographic spectrum migrates away from them leaving old codgers like me with multiple health needs and frequent consultations on their books.

IMHO the dinosaurs aren’t the GPs, but the slow to evolve and fragmented commissioning system.

Clive
17 October 2018 @
14:58

I agree the commissioning approach as it stands (top down, top down, top down) is not working efficiently, it’s costing too much, more use should be being made of tech, i.e. data transactions, so that people are paid for the actual work done

Clive
17 October 2018 @
15:02

my Tesco bill (i.e. the real world) has just arrived £11.63, I can see it on line, transaction by transaction, what I am paying for, that is the way the real world works and that is the direction the NHS must now head

Dave Kelsall
15 October 2018 @
11:01

Lest we forget:
– the vast majority of GPs (like GP at Hand) are independent contractors and by definition NOT part of the NHS
– the business model under which general practices operate has been undermined by central government deliberately reducing the real term value of their contracts as part of the austerity programme. Many practices are closing as they are no loner financially viable
– if central government was serious about improving patient access to data there would be a significant financial incentive paid to facilitate this (this is a Political policy issue not an NHS Leadership management issue)
– GP at Hand operates under a different business model but is currently paid for under the same per capita contracts. As a consequence this is more profitable to shareholders as their overheads are lower and they attract younger, healthier patients
– there is a parallel between GP at Hand and Amazon. Both are great for their shareholders and customers but the unintended consequence of Amazon’s success has been to make many independent retailers financially unsustainable along with the turning of many town centres into ghost towns. Let’s hope a similar collapse of our primary care sector can be avoided by our politicians.

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Clive
11 October 2018 @
21:34

in my experience young busy people appreciate Babylon, with regard to IT the nhs can not ignore their historic “performance” of nhs leadership, I trust Doctors what doctors say but I am on the side of the patient, Babylon records consultations, that is really really good for the patients because they also Trust and rely on what Doctors say, sometimes they and I will hang on to their every word

William
11 October 2018 @
21:05

GPs were the ones who first developed working electronic medical records in the UK.

Clive
11 October 2018 @
21:25

yep, but the patients did not have access to them, put the patients first

William
11 October 2018 @
21:31

This was back in the 90s.

Clive
11 October 2018 @
21:36

yes and not all patients have access to all their data, it is NOW 2018 !

James
10 October 2018 @
11:13

You will find much in the comment ‘arguing this threatens the financial model of traditional NHS general practice.’. It is not a technical challenge but a financial model challenge, GP’s do not want that model challenged by technology and innovation.

Clive
11 October 2018 @
21:26

the nhs is extremely rich with data

Clive
11 October 2018 @
21:37

nhs leadership have let us down

Clive Spindley
7 October 2018 @
20:46

No they are not but the nhs needs technical as much as it needs clinical NOW does IT not ?

Clive Spindley
7 October 2018 @
20:48

And the doctors need to shout about that because the leadership do not seem to be prepared to do it !